Planning a wedding menu can seem so complicated. With things to consider like dietary restrictions, different preferences, and even the time of day that you are eating, the food decisions aren’t always easy. These 5 tips will help you plan the perfect wedding menu!
At an event as big as a wedding, it’s not easy catering to everyone’s tastes. While you may have the perfect meal (to you) in mind, that meal may not be “perfect” for all of your wedding guests who will also be eating at your wedding. You and your significant other might love sushi, while your grandma is more of a meat and potatoes girl. Deciding on the food you’ll serve at your wedding is only one part of the equation. Once you’ve picked the food, you must decide on a buffet, sit-down dinner, appetizer schedule and more. Here are 5 tips to keep in mind when you plan your wedding menu to make sure you don’t forget a single thing.
Related Content:
- 10 Questions to Ask Your Caterer During Your Meal Tasting
- 7 Most Dangerous Planning Mistakes Couples on a Budget Make
- Why Having a Hotel Wedding May Be Your Smartest Wedding Decision
Wedding Menu Tip #1: Make the Menu Personal
On your wedding day, everything from the dress to the decorations speaks to your style, so why shouldn’t the food? Incorporate some of your favorite foods on the menu and explain why. This is such a fun way to add another spark of personality to your wedding day using the wedding menu. If you and your future spouse love to make mac and cheese on the weekends, incorporate it into the dinner menu with a little card that explains why. Your guests will love the personal touch!
Want another fun wedding menu idea? You can also make your meal a roadmap of your relationship. For example, if you fell in love over gelato in Italy, then have that as a part of the dessert. Even a craft beer you drink together on special occasions can appear on your drink menu. While it’s not exactly food menu related, one popular trend is to have a bride’s signature drink and a groom’s signature drink. This is another fun way to personalize your wedding menu!
Wedding Menu Tip #2: Be Aware of Dietary Restrictions
Not every guest at your wedding will be able to eat everything on the menu. Try to avoid overly spicy foods that could upset stomachs and look at creating a kid-friendly menu if you’ll have entire families attending. Vegetarians and vegans will also need specific options either in the buffet line or as part of the sit-down meal. Make sure that as you are getting RSVP’s, you are also finding out if your wedding guests have any dietary restrictions. This can play a major part in your wedding menu planning.
Talk to your caterer ahead of time about what meals you can make for individuals with allergies and other dietary requests. If you’re holding a sit-down dinner, ask about any dietary conditions on the wedding invitations and make sure everyone gets their correct meal. With dietary restrictions, communication is key! Make sure that your guests have let you know what they can/cannot eat and that this has been communicated to your caterer. If you have a wedding coordinator, they can also help on the day-of, making sure that everyone receives the correct meals.
Wedding Menu Tip #3: Consider the Season & Keep It Local
The season in which you get married will help you determine what to serve at your wedding. For example, a summer salad with different fruits and vegetables will taste better in the summer than it would in January. You also want to consider the time of day. If you’re having a morning wedding, what about doing brunch? For an afternoon wedding, you could do lunch or even just appetizers. The season and the time of day both play a part in your wedding menu. Even the location of your wedding can play a part in what you eat. A wedding close to the beach may feature fresh seafood as opposed to a wedding in the Midwest, which might serve BBQ.Another creative touch for your wedding menu is to work with local farms to provide the ingredients for your wedding. Even picky eaters will appreciate your vegetables more if they know you’re supporting local farmers with a commitment to sustainable agriculture. Another option would be to reach out to some of your favorite local restaurants to see if they offer wedding catering services. We always love supporting local!
Wedding Menu Tip #4: Go with the Wedding Reception Flow
Timing is key when it comes to your wedding day, and the wedding menu is no exception. The timing for dinner also plays a role in how your reception will operate. Do you want guests to snack on appetizers all night to keep the dance floor moving? Or, do you have a family full of talkers who would prefer a sit-down meal? Will you need to have a cocktail hour with appetizers AND a meal? This is something you need to work out with your wedding planner and caterer ahead of time. Again, communication is key! Your wedding planner and caterer are pros in this area, so be sure to consider any advice that they provide.
Some industry experts recommend a “grazing” reception filled with different appetizers. This prevents the reception from losing momentum, and you can even save money by cutting out that carving station and other expensive food items. If appetizers are your thing, this may be the best route for your wedding menu!
Wedding Menu Tip #5: Give Traditional Dishes an Upgrade
There’s nothing wrong with the standard chicken, beef and vegetarian options. In fact, those three options usually satisfy everyone’s palate, which is why they are so common on wedding menus. But what if you want to spice things up? Not literally, but you catch my drift. Start by creating dishes around beef, chicken, fish or vegetarian selections, then add sides, sauces and other aspects that can work for different dietary restrictions. This is a fun way to add some personality to an otherwise possibly bland dinner menu. Your wedding guests will appreciate it!The key is to find a mix of salty, sweet and spicy dishes. Once you have the basics of your wedding menu covered, you can add in different appetizers or other meal options. For example, if you and your fiancé love sushi, then find a caterer with experience as a sushi chef who can add a new layer to your wedding menu. But, like I said earlier, remember that everyone’s tastes are different, so make sure that you have options.
The Most Important Wedding Menu Tip: Plan, Plan, Plan
The best wedding menus aren’t something you think of the night before. Once you have your date and venue, it’s recommended that you book the caterer a year in advance. Talk about the things you want on your wedding menu and allow your caterer to throw in some of their own creativity. With the right planning, you’ll have a wedding meal people will talk about for years to come.
